More than 400 parking fine complaints to Commerce Commission this year

Concerns over carparking fines and penalties are continuing to rise with more than 400 complaints already made to the Commerce Commission so far this year. Just four years ago in 2022, the Commission received only 151 complaints.

And as drivers head into city centres, and park up, to undertake Christmas shopping, how can you avoid getting a parking ticket or fine - and how do you know that what you're being charged is reasonable?

Chief executive of the New Zealand Parking Association Mike Kelly told Nine to Noon parking enforcement was tightening up.

"Now that enforcement technology is improving it is tighter out there, people don't have money to spare, they don't want to spend $10 on a car park if they can avoid it.

"They perhaps have been used to going to the supermarket and parking there as long as they need to any time they like, and of course those businesses may not be the ones using it but there are people that are.

"It is tightening up and everybody is needing to, I guess, look after their own interests a bit more."

He said across the industry camera number plate recognition was becoming the go to.

"It gives a significant increase in the ability to monitor car parks... it really does give a much wider scope to manage the spaces."

However, Kelly said, there can be issues with systems often looking for the earliest and latest entry, despite customers exiting and re-entering.

The fundamental purpose of parking rules was to ensure there were parks outside businesses for customers - within reason, he added.

"The one thing I would say to all listeners is if you do get a parking ticket, engage with it, if it's a council parking ticket it could end up in court... if it's a private parking breach notice and you don't engage with it those obviously... incur costs which [private parking companies] look to pass on."

He said breaches of private parking could cost anywhere between $65 and $85.

Tickets from both councils and private parking businesses could be up to $300 if, for example, a customer wrongly parks in a disability carpark or a vehicles warrant of fitness was expired, Kelly said.